Toe lasting machines for stitchdown shoes



March 24, 1959 F. F. CHAMBERS TOE LASTING MACHINES FOR STITCHDOWN SHOES Filed Feb. 14, 1957 Inventor Ferdinand F Chamber?)- \1 1 Uni e States Pa efi o 771c TOE LASTING MACHINES FOR STITCHDOWN snons I Ferdinand Frank Chambers, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 14, 1957, Serial No. 640,107 Claims priority, application Great Britain March 2, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 12-7.8)

This invention relates to machines for shaping uppers,

over lasts and is herein illustrated in its application .to

machines for pulling over and lasting the toe portions of stitchdown shoes. It is to be understood, however,

that the invention is not limited in its scope to machines 20 pair of side grippers 20 constructed and arranged to tenplates which, for certain types of work, are heated thereby to make their upper shaping action more efiective. In the operation of machines of this type on shoe uppers which are particularly sensitive to heat such, for example, as uppers which are treated with aniline dyes, it. is desirable to prevent actual contact of heated wipers with portions of the upper which are visible in the finished shoe. Accordingly itis an object ofthepresent invention to provide in machines for shaping shoe uppers, and more particularly, in a machine of the type disclosed in the patentabove referred to suitable means for preventing contact of the wipers with portions of the upper which are visible in the finished shoe while permitting contact of the wipers with the lasting margin in the course of the closing movement of the wipers to wipe the upper into the crevice between the last and the extending margin of the insole.

With the above object in view the invention in one aspect thereof contemplates the combination with toe wipers constructed and arranged for operative movement heightwise of a shoe in the machine and for closing movement of a shield constructed and arranged for operative movement heightwise of the shoe with the lasting wipers, and means for mounting the shield independently of the wipers, the shield being arranged relatively to the wipers to prevent contact thereof with portions of the upper which are visible in the finished shoe. The illustrated shield is a flexible member or plate which embraces the toe portion of the shoe and is pressed yieldingly against the shoe by means such, for example, as compression springs. The flexible plate or shield is conformed to the contour of the last in order to serve as a wiper for wiping the upper heightwise of the last. The invention further contemplates the incorporation of the flexible shield in an assembly movable heightwise of the shoe comprising a carrier having a toe pad secured thereto, the shield being mounted on the toe pad for movement lengthwise of a shoe in the machine to bring it into wiping engagement with the extremity of the toe portion of the upper, the compression springs, when there is no shoe in the machine, urging the end portions of the shield into contact with the pad.

These and other features of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

' I Choice et al. patent is provided with means for ,sup-

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the tip line of a shoe in the machine illus trating a toe saping assembly embodying the features of the present invention; and

I Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1 and illustrating certain parts shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in the Choice et al. patent hereinbefore referred to. The machine illustrated in the porting the toe portion of a shoe in upright position, said supporting means comprising three sole enaging studs one of which is illustrated in Fig. 1 and identified. by the numeral 10. The three studs are mounted on a.

bar 12 and are arranged to support in upright position a' shoe assembly comprising a last 14 having assembled thereon a closed upper 16 and an insole 18. The machine illustrated in the Choice et al. patent above referred.

to is provided with a toe gripper (not shown) and a sion. the toe portion of the upper about the last, and with toe lasting wipers 22 and a vamp pressing member or pad corresponding generally to the pad 24 illustrated in Fig. 1. The pad 24 is secured to a plate 26 mounted on a carrier or head 28 at the lower end of a stem, the

lower portion of which is illustrated in Fig. 1 and identifiedby the numeral 30. The means for mounting the stem 30 and actuating it to bring the pad 24 into engagement with the upper 16 is fully disclosed in the Choice et 'al. patent to which reference may be had for further description of the pad assembly. 7

In the operation of the machine the toe gripperand the side grippers 20 close on the lasting margin of the upper and move downwardly to tension the upper about the last. The operator then initiates the operation of mechanism for advancing a head carrying the wipers 22 to bring the wipers into position for their movement heightwise of the shoe. Such advancement of the wipers brings them into contact with'a flexible wiper plate or bandj32 and advances the band bodily to bring its toe end portion into wiping engagement with the upper. During the downward movement of the wipers the pad 24 yieldingly engages the upper, and before the wipers reach the position heightwise of the shoe at which their closing or inwiping movement occurs, the grippers release the upper to the control of the pad 24 which then holds the upper firmly in its position relatively to the last. After the pad has so engaged the upper the wipers complete their advancement heightwise of the shoe into their closing or inwiping position by downward move ment relatively to the pad.

In order to improve the operation of the wipers 22 upon the lasting margin of the upper heat is applied thereto, for example by means of electrical heating units incorporated in the wiper head. In order to avoid the marking or staining of that portion of the upper which is visible in the finished shoe by contact of the heated wipers therewith the flexible wiper plate or band 32 is positioned between the wipers 22 and the upper, and,is constructed and arranged for movement heightwise of the shoe with the assembly illustrated in Fig. 1. The band 32 has a shape corresponding generally to the peripheral contour of the toe portion of the last and is made of heat resisting plastic material such, for example, as vulcanized rubber which is sufliciently flexible for adjustment to the peripheral shape of the shoe but at the same time sufficiently rigid to perform a wiping action upon the peripheral portion of the upper as it moves downwardly into its position illustrated in Fig. 1. The band 32 is vertically positioned relatively to the assembly illustrated in Fig. 1 by the engagement of its upperedge Patented Mar, 24, a

4 3 with the plate 26 and is yieldingly held against the pad 24 by two springs 34 acting against the end portions of the band. The springs 34 are mounted on the opposite end portions of a rod 36 extending through a bore in the pad 24 and through rectangular apertures 38' in the band 32. Thesprings 34 are confined between washers 40 engaging the band 32 and nuts 42' on the threaded end portions of the rod 36'.- The apertures 38 are made large enough to afford the movement of the band 32: relatively to the pad 24 lengthwise of the last required for the performance of the heightwise wiping action of the band. The band 32 is provided with an inner bevel 44 (Fig. 2) at its bottom margin to cause it to conform substantially to the heightwise contour of the.

periphery of the last.

During the downward movement of the upper engaging assembly illustrated in Fig. l the wipers 22 engage the band 32 along a line just above the bottom edge of the band, as shown in Fig. 1. During the downward movement of the upper engaging assembly and while the upper is held tensioned by the toe gripper and the side grippers 20 the beveled lower edge portion of the band 32 engages the periphery of the toe portion of the upper and wipes it downwardly to assist the grippers inshaping the upper about the last. The inherent resiliency of the band 32, aided by the pressure applied by the springs 34, causes the band 32 to conform to the peripheral contour of the toe portion of the last and to apply wiping pressure to the peripheral portion of the upper. The band 32 also serves to shield the upper from the edges of the heated wipers 22 during the movement of the upper engaging assembly heightwise of the last and thereafter during the movement of the wipers relatively to the band into their wiping position. During the movement of the wipers relatively to the band the pad 24 and the band clamp the upper againstthe last and thereby retain the tension imparted to the upper by the grippers and the shape imparted to the upper by the Wiping action of the band. When the band is in its clamping position its lower edge is so located that the wipers are in substantially contiguous relation thereto during their wiping operation.

It will be understood that the operation of the band 32 in conjunction with the wipers 22 as above described is effected by the operation of the machine disclosed in the Choice et' all patent hereinbefore referred to, in the illustrated band is particularly adapted to lasting machines of this type'provided with grippers forpulling the upper over the last.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:'

1. Ina toe forming machine, the combination with toe wipers constructed and arranged for operative movement heightwise of a shoe in the machine and for closing movement, of 'a shield constructed and arranged for 'operative movement heightwise of the shoe with the wipers, means for mounting the shield independently of the wipers, said shield being arranged relatively to the wipers to prevent contact of the wipers with portions of the upper.

2'. In a toe forming machine, the combination with toe wiper plates constructed and arranged for movement heightwise of a shoe in the machine and for closing movement, of an assembly comprising a carrier, a shoe upper engaging pad fixed to the carrier, a shield mounted on the pad for movement relatively thereto lengthwise of a shoe in the machine, and yielding means for urging the end portions of the shield into contact with the pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,301,726

Merrick Apr. 22, 1919 2,054,938 Lancaster Sept. 22, 1936 2,524,882 Choice Oct. 10, 1950 

